Sex is a wonderful thing. It releases endorphins, which improve your mood, aids in relaxation, and can even help get rid of headaches! Unfortunately, some men feel like they can’t get an erection or their erection isn’t hard enough to satisfy their partner. These unpleasant feelings can prevent you from initiating sex, which can in-turn damage your sex life and even your relationship! We’ve gathered together some of the myths about erections; hard, soft, and everything in between, to help shed some light on this otherwise uncomfortable situation.

Myth 1: Pills Solve Everything.

It may be tempting to pick up those brightly colored penis pills that you see at the local gas station or convenience store. While these may give you a temporary (and let us emphasize temporary here) boost, they won’t address any underlying problems. Also, depending on the ingredients, these pills can actually become addicting as well!

Myth 2: I’m too young for erection issues!

Erection problems aren’t only caused by age. The inability to get a harder erection can be caused by:

Drug or alcohol abuse

Unhealthy lifestyle choices (obesity, too much fast food, etc)

Smoking

Or any of a great variety of other similar causes. While you are never too young for erection problems, the earlier you discover the source of the issues, the easier it is to treat!

Myth 3: I don’t need to see my doctor.

If it is causing a disruption in your normal life, then you might want to make an appointment with your doctor. It may be a simple diagnosis or it could be the sign of something more complicated that requires further diagnosis and treatment, but you’ll never know until you make that appointment. Don’t be shy! The health of your reproductive system is just as important as the rest of your body!

Myth 4: I’m just not attracted to my partner anymore.

This is one of the biggest myths that surround erection issues. People, especially young people who suffer from problems with harder erections, may think that they can’t get it up simply because they are no longer attracted to their object of interest, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. At this point, it becomes important to assure your partner (and yourself) that the feelings of attraction are still there, it’s just the penis that is refusing to cooperate.

Myth 5: I masturbate too much!

This may be an old wives tale that was created to discourage young men from masturbating too often or too vigorously. Masturbation does not affect your ability to get a harder erection, though it may have some effect on your stamina. Some studies have also shown that people who often use porn as the source of their arousal may find it harder to become aroused by a normal partner, but this is a psychological issue that may need to be addressed by a counselor, not a physical one that requires a doctor’s treatment.

Myth 6: There’s nothing I can do to fix it!

You couldn’t be more wrong. If you’ve visited your doctor and no underlying cause has been discovered for your inability to get a harder erection, it may in fact all be in your head. Stress is one of the most common causes of erection difficulties, especially in younger to middle aged men. If you are experiencing high levels of stress in your life, it can negatively affect your overall health and well being as well as your sexual health.

Conclusions

As the ridiculously overhyped Disney movie put it, sometimes you just have to “Let it go!” Let go of all of your stresses and worries, and just focus on enjoying your partner and your time together. You may find that once you get rid of all the extra crap inside your head, the rest of your body takes over and everything works out perfectly.